Traci Soderstrom, the Lincoln County District Judge, is on the verge of losing her job after being captured on video texting messages and reading through social media during a murder trial. Following an examination by the state’s Council on Judicial Complaints, the top justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court recommended the removal of the new judge in a filing on Tuesday. Chief Justice John Kane IV wrote, “The pattern of conduct demonstrates Respondent’s (Soderstrom’s) gross neglect of duty, gross partiality and oppression. The conduct further demonstrates Respondent’s (Soderstrom’s) lack of temperament to serve as a judge.”
The Oklahoman newspaper published a video of the judge texting during jury selection, opening comments, and testimony during the Chandler trial
Soderstrom has been under investigation since July after she was found sending nearly 500 messages to her bailiff during the trial of a man accused of fatally beating a 2-year-old girl, including insulting the prosecution, complementing the defense lawyer, and referring to one of the crucial witnesses as a lawyer. The Oklahoman newspaper published a video of the judge texting during jury selection, opening comments, and testimony during the Chandler trial. She was placed on paid leave pending the outcome of a hearing before the Court of the Judiciary to decide if she will be removed from the bench.
All of this started when the man on trial, Khrisitan Tyler Martzall, was convicted of second-degree manslaughter in the murder of his girlfriend’s son, Braxton Danker, in 2018 and sentenced to time served. Judith, Martzall’s girlfriend, pled guilty to facilitating child abuse and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. She was a critical witness who was dubbed a “liar” by the judge. According to the petition, the text reads, “State just couldn’t accept that a mom could kill their kid, so they went after the next person available.” Soderstrom’s communications, according to Kane’s petition, included remarking “the prosecutor was sweating through his coat” during questioning of possible jurors and asking “Why does he have baby hands?” She also lauded the defense lawyer as ‘awesome’ and asked ‘can I clap for her?” during the arguments.
Furthermore, the petition alleged that Soderstrom responded to the bailiff’s insulting allusion to the prosecuting attorney’s genitals with a smiling emoji icon. She called a police officer “pretty,” adding, “I could stare at him all day.” When questioned by the Council on Judicial Complaints, Soderstrom stated that her texting probably could have waited and thought, “Oh, that’s funny.” “Move along.” Soderstrom’s term will expire in January 2027. (www.plu68.com)
